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📖 Chef Rico's cookbook — in progress. Every orange spot fills in from his recipe session. The dishes & photos are real; the recipes are coming.
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PRIVATE CHEF · OKLAHOMA CITY

CHEF RICO

THE COOKBOOK
Meals & More — a private chef's collection.
BY CHEF RICO McCLOUD  ·  VOLUME ONE
Chef Rico McCloud
Foreword

Meet Chef Rico

Twenty years in professional kitchens — from white-tablecloth fine dining to a Mississippi hunting lodge — rising from grill cook to Sous Chef and, now, private chef.

Whether it's a tasting menu, a lodge feast, or a quiet dinner for two, the standard never changes: restaurant-caliber food, made personal.

[ Rico's words — how he started, who taught him, the proudest plate, the dish people request most. From the session. ]

— Chef Rico McCloud
In the Kitchen

The Chef's Philosophy

How I Build a Menu
[ his approach — around the guest, the season, the occasion ]
Ingredients I Won't Compromise On
[ what he sources carefully ]
Technique That Sets the Plate Apart
[ his signature methods ]
Plating & Presentation
[ how he makes it beautiful ]
The #1 Home-Cook Mistake
[ what he'd fix ]
What's Inside

Table of Contents

Starters & Boards

1 · The Grazing Board05
2 · Whipped Feta Bruschetta06
3 · Caprese07

The Mains

4 · Grilled Filet08
5 · Seared Salmon09
6 · Garlic Shrimp10
7 · Grilled Skewers11
8 · Eggs Benedict12
9 · Chicken & Dumplings13

Sides & Sauces

10 · Roasted Asparagus14
11 · Chef's Fried Rice15
12 · House Greens16
The Signature Hollandaise · House Vinaigrette17
CHAPTER ONE

Starters & Boards

The first impression — set the table, set the tone.

Grazing board
01
Starters

The Grazing Board

Cheeses, charcuterie, fruit, and house touches on a live-edge board. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Build—
Make-Ahead—

Components

Method

  1. Anchor the board — cheeses
  2. Fill & layer — meats, fruit
  3. Garnish — finishing touches
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ what makes his board different — from the session ]
Bruschetta
02
Starters

Whipped Feta Bruschetta

Toasted crostini, whipped feta, blistered tomato, balsamic. [story]
Makes—
Prep—
Cook—
Plating—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Toast — the bread
  2. Whip — the feta
  3. Top & drizzle — assemble
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Caprese
03
Starters

Caprese

Tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, good oil. Simple done right. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Season—
Plating—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Slice & layer — build
  2. Season — salt, oil
  3. Finish — basil, reduction
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
CHAPTER TWO

The Mains

The center of the plate — the dishes they remember.

Grilled filet
04
Mains

Grilled Filet

Hard sear, crosshatch marks, rested and rosy. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Cook—
Pull At—°F
Rest—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Season — prep
  2. Sear — heat & time
  3. Rest & sauce — finish
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Seared salmon
05
Mains

Seared Salmon

Crisp skin, silky center. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Cook—
Doneness—
Sauce—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Dry & season — prep
  2. Sear skin-side — technique
  3. Finish & plate — sauce
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Garlic shrimp
06
Mains

Garlic Shrimp

Quick, bright, and packed with flavor — great for a crowd. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Cook—
Heat—
Serve—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Prep shrimp — clean/season
  2. Build the pan — garlic, veg
  3. Toss & finish — sauce
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Grilled skewers
07
Mains

Grilled Skewers

Marinated, charred, glazed. [story]
Serves—
Marinade—
Grill—
Protein—
Glaze—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Marinate — how long
  2. Skewer & grill — heat/time
  3. Glaze & serve — finish
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Eggs Benedict
08
Brunch

Eggs Benedict

Poached eggs, hollandaise, and breakfast hash. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Cook—
Poach—
Sauce—

Ingredients

Method

  1. The hash — prep
  2. Poach the eggs — technique
  3. Hollandaise & build — see p.17
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Chicken and dumplings
09
Comfort

Chicken & Dumplings

The bowl that feels like home. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Simmer—
Dumplings—

Ingredients

For the pot
For the dumplings

Method

  1. Build the base — stock
  2. Make dumplings — dough
  3. Simmer & finish — time
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
CHAPTER THREE

Sides & Sauces

The supporting cast that makes the plate complete.

Roasted asparagus
10
Sides

Roasted Asparagus

Bright, tender-crisp, simple. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Roast—°F
Finish—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Trim & season — prep
  2. Roast — temp/time
  3. Finish — lemon/parm
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
Fried rice
11
Sides

Chef's Fried Rice

Wok-hot, savory, never mushy. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Cook—
Rice—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Day-old rice — why
  2. High heat — technique
  3. Season & toss — finish
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
House greens
12
Sides

House Greens

Fresh, crisp, dressed just right. [story]
Serves—
Prep—
Dressing—
Add-ins—

Ingredients

Method

  1. Build the base — greens
  2. Dress — house vinaigrette, p.17
  3. Finish — toppings
👨‍🍳 Chef Rico's Secret[ from the session ]
The Foundation

Sauces

Signature Hollandaise

👨‍🍳 The Trick[ how he keeps it from breaking ]

House Vinaigrette

👨‍🍳 The Ratio[ his oil-to-acid + the secret note ]
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